The prestigious North American Youth Chess Championships(NAYCC), was held in Toronto, Canada from August 14-18. With FIDE titles and norms on the line, the tournament attracted the top rated junior players from Mexico, the United States, Haiti, Canada and Costa Rica. Although most were seasoned tournament veterans, this was the first international tournament for many players.

Despite some initial round confusion over offers of a draw in Spanish or French, the international language of chess prevailed and the tournament went smoothly. The “Chess ‘N Math Association” of Canada did a wonderful job of organizing the tournament. The event was held in the heart of a downtown Toronto, and the consensus among parents was that the food options were the best of any recent national/international tournament.

While the atmosphere was one of friendly competition, players quickly got down to business. Many of the US players had previously qualified to represent the US at the World Youth Chess Championships in Al-ain, UAE in December, and were using their performance under international tournament conditions at this event as a key factor in deciding whether to make the trip.

Maximillian Lu

After nine long rounds over five days, the US team took home seven gold medal first place finishes. Canada took four and Mexico one. The long duration of the tournament allowed many new friendships to be made and a sense of camaraderie was formed among US players. Many look forward to seeing each other again as teammates while taking on the world in Al-ain. As usual, many kids celebrated the end of the tournament, by..... playing blitz.